SS ForestFire
by SpaceDaddy
Summary: A small tale about two young women messing up their lives. (human-ized versions of the FR deities. rated m for future chapters)
1. The Beginning

First story! Yay! After about two weeks of revision I decided to take a risk and post it now. :) Dedicated to Horticulture on FR for bringing me into this shipping hell.

Disclaimer: I do not claim any ownership over Flight Rising, its deities, or its affiliates.

* * *

There was a pretty girl standing the balcony. She was always there on time, Ember noticed. From eight thirty to nine, the girl would stand in the sunlight, watering plants. Succulents, fruit trees, flowers. Morning glories sent tendrils toward the sky, alyssum overflowed windowboxes and reached for the ground. It was a surprise that they managed to prosper in the summer California heat.

They were beautiful. The plants, that is. Well, the girl too. Oh no, now it sounds like the girl is the second thing on her mind, and she isn't, and-

"Em? Earth to Em? Ember, I advise that you not daydream while on a ladder. Ember?"

Ember glanced down. Archie was waving a hand at her while balancing a pile of books in the other.

"You've worked in the library for three months now. And you have been daydreaming for two of them. And now you have book cataloguing for two months." He called up to her. The redhead rolled her eyes and slid down the ladder, shaking off the last few images of the so-called "pretty girl."

"Cut me a break, Archie. I can still use the 'I'm new to this' excuse for another week."

"Three days, technically. And no cutting breaks." Archie pushed the books into her hands with a raised eyebrow.

"You can take a small rest, though. An intern can cover for you."

"...Aren't I the intern?"

"Complications. No one needs a repeat of last Thursday, right?"

Last Thursday, summarized in one word, was hell. Some sort of major college project was due soon, and college kids around town flocked to the library for reputable sources. During the rush, Ember focussed primarily on the Balcony Girl and accidentally misstepped while on the twenty-five foot ladder. And also landed on a nice, comfy pile of sleep-deprived hungry teens.

"I'm still pretty sure my tailbone receded into my spine, by the way. Thanks for being the kind, compassionate boss and giving me an entire hour off."

"I know I'm great, you're very welcome!" Archie called behind him, walking away from the unimpressed redhead.

She should talk with balcony girl soon.

* * *

There was a pretty girl at the pastry shop. She was always there on time, Flora noticed. From eight to nine in the morning, the redhead would drink coffee (black, she noticed), text, or read a book. She would often steal glances at Flora's garden.

Flora pretended not to notice.

Sometimes, the pretty girl would come with a friend. He dressed in an annoying shade of lime green. They weren't lovers, at least, Flora didn't think they were. They didn't kiss, didn't hug.

(She won't admit she hoped pretty girl was single.)

"Just make out already."

Flora spun around, meeting the eyes of her intrigued sister. She was flicking through channels on the TV, twisting a lock of white hair between manicured fingers.

"I don't know what you're talking about. I'm simply watering the plants."

"Suuuuuure. You ran out of water about two minutes back, by the way. While staring at that pastry shop. Longingly. Lovingly, almost. You-"

"Don't _you_ have work to do?" Flora cut off her sister mid-sentence as she placed the watering can onto a wicker chair. "What was the point of taking an epidemiology class if you won't do anything with it? Go save mankind or whatever."

"Sister, you wound me. Hath thou forgotten thine profession? For I study the chemicals, the poison, the blood in thine body. A shame! A shame! My blood does not know me!" Paige threw her arm over her head dramatically, slinking further into the couch.

"You're a toxicologist. Shush. Also, leave."

Flora spent ten minutes pulling her sister off the couch and out the doorway, eventually threatening Paige that she'll bash her with a broom.

The silence afterward was welcomed. The occasional pigeon cooed outside on the balcony bars, demanding food. Flora saw no harm in feeding them. Cars would honk outside from time to time, and pedestrian chatter below provided background noise. Flora was lying down on her white leather couch, attention switching between the clock and the television in front of her.

 _ **Gladekeeper messaged Archanist 9:23am**_

 _When are you comin home? Sis left_  
 _(finally)...  
_ **I might get caught up after work, sorry.  
** **I'm taking a break with the new intern.** _  
_ _The one that fell on those students?  
_ **Yes.  
** _Oh, well, have fun.  
_ **We will. By the way, will Paige join us  
** **for the meteor shower Thursday?** _  
_ _If she doesn't fall asleep first lol.  
_ **I would hope not. I will come over during  
lunch break.**

 _..._

She should talk with the pastry shop girl soon.

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PLEASE review! Edit 1- that goshdarn texting omg


	2. Wingmen Galore

A/N: Another chapter! Originally it was supposed to be uploaded this Tuesday, but I had free time. Thanks for the criticisms, and thank you Horticulture for watching me write this until, like, 1 am. I didn't realize I had this rated m when I linked it to FR, and I'd like to thank the mods for catching it and removing the thread. After some careful consideration, I decided this will most likely stay rated the way it is.

There's going to be side Wind/Arcane in this, too. Because I'm a trash shipper ayyyy.

Disclaimer: I do not claim to own flight Rising, its deities, or its affiliates.

* * *

Thing went slow for the next week, until Paige threw herself into Archie's study full force one day. She was wearing the biggest grin Archie has seen so far in his life, and her eyes twinkled with a mischievous sort of glint.

Oh no. In her hands she held one of Flora's various small notebooks, the same one Archie knew for a fact Flora used as a personal diary. The leather book was filled to the brim with multicolored pressed flowers and torn yellow pages.

"Paige, I recommend putting Flora's personal belongings back in order. I wouldn't want to clean blood off the floor again."

"Pshh, it's her fault for not hiding it well enough. And you wouldn't believe the juicy things this has in here. I get to know evverrrything about her."

Archie shivered before turning his attention back to his aged tome. Paige frowned, crossed her arms, and gave a gentle "hmph".

"So you're not interested to know literally everything about our sister?"

"We already do. She is our _sister_. Stupid." The last part was murmured under his breath. Paige made a sound similar to a squawk and tore the book out of Archie's hands.

"She's totally crushing on your new intern, by the wayyyy~. C'mon, you can totally get blackmail from this!"

He sighed, took off his reading glasses, and massaged the bridge of his nose with a shaky hand. Why did his sister always pull him into her antics? Can she not find another librarian to bother?

He wanted some aspirin.

"You won't let me continue reading, will you?"

"Nope!"

"Fine, read it to me. My head hurts too much anyways."

Paige's grin grew predatory as she stalked towards Archie's free couch (the other one has literal piles of books and moldy notes.). She cleared her throat, flipped to the middle of the book, (Archie hated people who did that…), and began with a random entry.

"June 26, Morning.

I haven't noticed until now, but an exceptionally pretty girl seems to really like my garden. It's hard to grow things in the city, so I'm proud that someone appreciates my work, but I can't shake off her gaze. She was alone, well, sitting alone, in the pastry shop across the street, but she seemed comfortable, gazing at the plants with what could only be described as adoration.

She doesn't seem like the gardening type, either. She came on a motorcycle, for goodness' sake. She looked like the kind of girl that hung around the wrong type of crowd in high school, with her leather jacket and bright red lipstick. I could've sworn she's full of piercings, too.

She almost the exact opposite of me, it seems. Is this why she interests me? Is she interested in me? Not romantically, of course not, but she kept stealing glances at me when she thought I couldn't see her. (I'll install a mirror next to the door, I think. I need to get a better look at her. For pure scientific reasons.) "

Paige stopped reading at this point to purposefully make a loud gagging noise. Archie rolled his eyes at her theatrics.

"It's a crush. We all go through it at some point, Paige."

"Pfft, not me."

"I'm surprised your heart hasn't rotted. " Archie murmured as he pulled out another book from under his table.

"It's getting there, Archie-boy!" Paige cackled, smacking Archie's back in her laughter. He found himself rolling his eyes twice in the past five minutes.

"Now that you're done-"

"But I didn't finish read-"

"You do not need to. This," he plucked the notebook from Paige's hands, "is going back to Flora, along with a formal apology from you. Two pages, front and back."

Paige rolled her head backward and groaned. "Oh my god, Archie, you're going into strict teacher mode. But also, I know you just want the book for your 'research', hehe. Have fun being a total pervert." Paige called out behind her as she shut the door to the study.

Archie caught himself rolling his eyes for the third time. He threw a book at his door, which managed to push down the lock with a satisfying click. His attention turned to the book, er, diary.

(Before, of course, flipping to the first page and reading it from the start.)

* * *

[One week afterward]

"She's just, she's so, ughh, help me out here, man." Ember buried her hands in her hair, running them through the strands as a comforting gesture. Her friend, sitting next to her, chuckled.

"Can't help much, Flamey. You've got it bad, and that's about it." Zephyr W. Singer was a kind fellow, who owned a series of chain stores for arts and crafts of all kinds. However, with the arrival of an old friend in town, he took some time off just to meet her face-to-face for the first time in… well, forever.

It became a sort of habit to walk with her to her favorite pastry shop in the mornings. They would sometimes come on Ember's motorbike, and they once came on Zephyr's limo, but the resulting crowd was a bit too much.

(The horror that is limo-divers will forever disturb him.)

"Gahhhh, heeelp meeeee." Ember disturbed his train of thought by making various guttural sounds. He took a sip of his caramel frap carefully, making sure nothing spilled onto his lime green suit.

"Get her number? It's really kind of simple. Sorry, but I never really had any lady trouble."

"Oh my god, I knew asking a womanizer wouldn't help." Ember sank into her chair and smooshed her face against the table. Ripples spread throughout her own plain black coffee.

"Get this over with. Whatever deity out there, just shoot me with lightning and get this over with."

"Provoking Zeus wouldn't exactly help you." A new voice joined the conversation.

Ember's head shot up to meet her employer's eyes. Archie stood in front of the pair, wearing a beanie, holding a stack of papers in one hand and a coffee in the other. He was smiling at his worker's antics.

"Ember, you forgot the records you promised to take home on your desk. Oh, and by the way, I now accept your offer to go 'hang out', as you eloquently put it."

Ember smiled back, taking the papers away from Archie. "How much did you overhear, Archie? Should I wipe your memories clean?" She joked, pulling a chair up behind him. He nonchalantly waved a hand at her as he sat down.

"I doubt the technology to wipe one's mind exists, but you'll be happy to know that the only thing I heard was your desire to get struck with lightning." Archie turned towards Ember's companion.

"And you are?"

Zephyr blinked once, trying to remember exactly when this hottie arrived and, more importantly, how to get his number. 'I didn't know I had a thing for hipsters.'

"Uh, I'm Zephyr. Well, Zeph, technically, or sometimes Zephie." He babbled, trying not to make direct eye contact with his new crush.

"Uh, nice pink contacts, by the way. They suit you."

"...Archibald. It's a pleasure to meet you." He completely ignored Zephyr's second comment and instead turned back to Ember. She shot a look of pity towards her blushing friend, who seemed to visibly deflate.

Before Archie could say anything, though, Zephyr piped up.

"Ember, I've got a question." He felt as if his stomach was turning itself into knots. Better get this over fast.

Archie rolled his eyes and faced the lime-green man again, visibly annoyed.

"Yeah, Zeph?" Intuition told her she should probably leave soon.

"Why didn't you tell me your boss had such a fine booty?"

Archie was frozen like a deer in the headlights for a moment. Ember scooted her chair away from the table, ready to hold him back if he did anything reckless. (It was out of character,yes, but she's seen it happen.)

"Do you not have any manners at all?" He ground out through gritted teeth. 'Run'. Said the voice in Zephyr's head. 'RUN, you maniac!'

"I cannot believe someone would be so forward, and so perverted at the same time, all the while trying to play off such blatant disrespect as a compliment! Did your parents not raise you correctly? The fact that you told your friend this, while pretending I wasn't there when I was _literally less than two feet away and between you two_ makes one think you were raised in a barnyard, for goodness' sake!"

Although the outburst wasn't as loud as it seemed, Zephyr still felt as if all eyes were on him. Pressure seemed to well up inside if him, and for a second he thought he couldn't breathe, until he realized that no one seemed to be staring except for the very angry librarian in front of him and the slightly concerned girl behind him.

"Oh shit. Sorry dude." He murmured under his breath, not realizing how he literally scooted away from Archie's rage.

"I would hope so." Archie took off his glasses and laid them next to Ember's stack of papers.

"And grow up, will you. There's no need to act like a frightened child." Archie finished. Ember bit back saying "but he is" in front of Archie. Friends help out other friend's crushes, no matter how hopeless. She did stifle a laugh, which only caused Zeph to disappear further into himself.

"Um, Archie, I have a question about some of these notes on this script." Ember pulled out a piece of paper from the small stack Archie brought with him.

The atmosphere of the little shop returned to normal, and Ember started up a friendly conversation with Archie about the practicality of writing notes compared to just listening. Zeph joined in once or twice, but was mostly busy winking at other girls and mouthing "call me" at strangers (which Archie found positively disgusting.) However, in his mind, Zephyr was plotting ways to get Archie's number without completely embarrassing himself. While Ember and Archie were talking about boring things, he shot a quick text.

 _ **Wingsinger messaged Flamecaller 1:47 pm**_

 _We both know why I just texted you~_

 **I'm right here you ass? Like right next to you?**

 _But he's there too :c_

 **Aww, you're afraid?**

 _…_

 _Yes. :c_

 **Omg I'm screenshotting this.**

 _Omg just hook me up w/ his # u whore_

 **I'll try darling~ *hearts***

 _Ew gayyy_

 **Says the dude trying to get another mans number...**

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Edit1: Fixed spelling errors, added small amount of content, made 2nd part a bit less rushed.


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